Some residents on the East Side of Summit County are protesting construction of a military and law-enforcement training facility near Echo. Opponents say the proposal would create a fire hazard in the North Summit area.
Coalville Mayor Duane Schmidt said he may voice his opposition to the proposal at a public hearing today in Coalville. The meeting of the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission is scheduled at 7 p.m. at the County Courthouse at 60 N. Main.
The exercises on the property would focus on military training, including vehicle and sniper training, use of communications equipment, surveillance and counter surveillance techniques, according to Summit County planners.
But Schmidt said gunfire at a military shooting range in Salt Lake County recently ignited a fire that destroyed several homes.
“We all saw what happened down in Herriman, and that was the federal government,” Schmidt said. “How can we expect these two guys to not start a fire and who’s going to be responsible for paying for the fire?”
Firefighters on the ground would have a difficult time quickly accessing the remote area, he said.
“It’s the reality over here. At certain points throughout the year it’s drier than dry and it doesn’t take but one careless guy smoking a cigarette or one wayward shot of a rifle to cause a catastrophe,” Schmidt said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Let’s face it, by the time you call a helicopter in or call an airplane in you’re into serious money.”
The use of machine guns and explosives on the site would likely be banned if a permit for the project is approved. Utah-based ChamTech Enterprises has applied for a permit to develop the facility northeast of Echo on about 2,500 acres of private property currently used as rangeland.
ChamTech officials could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Summit County Community Development Director Don Sargent said the project is supported by many people in the community.
“I’ve heard in the auto parts store from people who say they don’t know what the big deal is, this is exactly the right kind of use for this kind of property,” Sargent said. “We also have heard from many landowners that there needs to be a way to have opportunities to use their land in supplementary ways to provide income so they can keep the agricultural operation intact.”
The Planning Commission could make a decision on the application following today’s public hearing.
“There will be some additional information provided at the meeting,” Sargent said. “I don’t think any of us initially understood the scope and scale and the detail of the proposal because I’m not sure the applicant had refined it to a level that they were targeting It was anticipated to be probably more grandiose than what is actually being proposed.”
He said he expects a large crowd at today’s public hearing.
“There seems to be still significant interest,” Sargent said.